TITLE VFINANCIAL PROVISIONS
F1F2Article 58aResources for the recovery of the Union agricultural sector and rural areas
1.
Point (g) of Article 1(2) of Council Regulation (EU) 2020/2094 (‘EURI Regulation’) shall be implemented in accordance with this Article through measures that are eligible under the EAFRD and that are directed at addressing the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, with an amount of EUR 8 070 486 840 in current prices of the amount referred to in point (vi) of Article 2(2)(a) of that Regulation, subject to Article 3(3), (4) and (8) thereof.
It shall be made available as additional resources for budgetary commitment under the EAFRD for the years 2021 and 2022, in addition to the total resources set out in Article 58 of this Regulation as follows:
2021: EUR 2 387 718 000;2022: EUR 5 682 768 840.
For the purpose of this Regulation and Regulations (EU) No 1306/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013, those additional resources shall be considered as amounts financing measures under the EAFRD. They shall be considered as being part of the total amount of Union support for rural development, as referred to in Article 58(1) of this Regulation, to which they shall be added when reference is made to the total amount of Union support for rural development. Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 shall not apply to the additional resources referred to in this paragraph and in paragraph 2 of this Article.
2.
The breakdown for each Member State of the additional resources referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, after deduction of the amount referred to in paragraph 7 of this Article, is set out in Annex Ia.
3.
The percentage thresholds of the total EAFRD contribution to the rural development programme referred to in Article 59(5) and (6) of this Regulation shall not apply to the additional resources referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article. However, Member States shall ensure that at least the same overall share of the EAFRD contribution, including the additional resources referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, is reserved in each rural development programme for the measures referred to in Article 59(6) of this Regulation, in line with Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) 2020/2220.
4.
At least 37 % of the additional resources referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article shall be reserved in each rural development programme for measures referred to in Article 33 and Article 59(5) and (6), and in particular for:
(a)
organic farming;
(b)
mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change, including reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture;
(c)
soil conservation, including the enhancement of soil fertility through carbon sequestration;
(d)
improvement of the use and management of water, including water saving;
(e)
creation, conservation and restoration of habitats favourable to biodiversity;
(f)
reduction of the risks and impacts of pesticide and antimicrobial use;
(g)
animal welfare;
(h)
LEADER cooperation activities.
5.
At least 55 % of the additional resources referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article shall be reserved in each rural development programme for measures referred to in Articles 17, 19, 20 and 35, provided that the designated use of such measures in the rural development programmes promotes economic and social development in rural areas, and contributes to a resilient, sustainable and digital economic recovery in line, inter alia, with the agri-environment-climate objectives pursued under this Regulation, and in particular:
(a)
short supply chains and local markets;
(b)
resource efficiency, including precision and smart farming, innovation, digitalisation and modernisation of production machinery and equipment;
(c)
safety conditions at work;
(d)
renewable energy, circular and bio-economy;
(e)
access to high-quality ICT in rural areas.
When allocating the additional resources referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, Member States may decide to derogate from the percentage threshold set out in the first subparagraph of this paragraph to the extent necessary to comply with the non-regression principle set out in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) 2020/2220. However, Member States may instead decide to derogate from that non-regression principle to the extent necessary to comply with the percentage threshold set out in the first subparagraph of this paragraph.
6.
Up to 4 % of the total additional resources referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article may be allocated to technical assistance, at the initiative of the Member States, to the rural development programmes in accordance with Article 51(2). That percentage threshold may be 5 % for those Member States to which the fourth subparagraph of Article 51(2) applies.
7.
Up to 0,25 % of the total additional resources referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article may be allocated to technical assistance in accordance with Article 51(1).
8.
The budget commitments relating to the additional resources referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall in each rural development programme be made separately from the allocation referred to in Article 58(4).
9.
Articles 20, 21 and 22 of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 shall not apply to the total additional resources referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article.